This is wild.

Sew Busy Lizzy asked me to join a blog hop and it’s about the writing. I was thrilled. Absolutely thrilled. I think most sewing bloggers want to have their work complimented- I consider it a good day when someone says they read my post and did a spit take. So asking me why my blog differs from others is like asking the Pope how he differs from Hugh Hefner. Only one of us wears a smoking jacket, of course. But all of us wear silk pajamas at home. So I must thank Lizzie- who was an early blog favorite for me- she has shown me a beautiful world across the globe and introduced me to some very good pattern friends! Well- buckle up- I’m ready to answer the 4 questions with great dignity and sobriety, as this demands.

What am I working on at the moment?
I’m trying to make a bit of a lifestyle change. I’ve worn uniforms forever and now I’m office casual, so my life of gaudy w/ jeans has changed a bit. I need more cohesion in my closet- but cohesion MY WAY! I have way too many things that match nothing in my closet. So I’ve started changing my fabric sorting plan- now I sort by ‘what works together’ and try to make things that coordinate with other fabric and will create loud and boisterous garment gangs to roam my closet and terrorize the cardigans. ‘SewBasics’ is just not a policy I can endorse! I’ve become very fixated on Stella Jean designs- the combinations are feminine, colorful and powerful:

How does your work differ from that of other writers in your genre?
Oh, boy- I’m not sure I have a genre! Basically, you get a steam of unconsciousness thrown at you all at once. My blog is that lonely girl you inadvertently stood next to at a party who once you said ‘Hi’ to, wouldn’t stop talking and only half of it made sense. Most people would walk away at the obvious craziness presented to them, but some people stay and while it may not change their lives or their voting habits, they get a giggle. I’m not a tutorial writer- I’m a cautionary tale. I bring no new education or ideas to the table. I’m about feeding my inner color-blind child and showing what the patterns and gaudy fabrics on a blind date can do! Add a ‘rounded perspective’ and you get what happens when the chubby meet the average pattern- the envelopes lie- but these hips do not and they only fib to spare my butts feelings. I also like to throw in a lot of foolish pictures. My husband even sends me files now from public library archives and such when he comes across the correct level of nonsense. As you may know- he is my best enabler. I wouldn’t feel free to be as silly as I am without his support.

Why do you write what you write?
I blog to save my co-workers and family from killing me. I don’t have a large local group to talk zippers and Mui Mui with. If I forced them to listen to me all day, I think eventually they’d load a leopard print sock with guest soaps and beat me to death. Last time I was in the local fabric store I became engaged in a deep conversation with a woman preparing her shi tzu’s holiday wardrobe. She didn’t have alot to say about the new Vogue collection- it was sadly lacking in pup visors. So I found a quiet corner of the internet and set up a little tea party/ranting nook. Now I can expound on The Swinton, embracing your flat butt, Betsey Johnson and the like, without seeing the deer trapped in the headlights look of my co-workers as they back toward the treeline looking for safety!
What’s your process and how does it work?
Well, my writing is very boom, boom, boom, done. I usually find myself in the sewing hut with Bruderlein when something ridiculous will just pop into my head- be it a name for the outfit, a personal struggle with the outfit or just how the whole thing makes me feel. My husband says my blog is the closest to the real me that anyone outside of my tiny circle ever gets to see. I’m really an introvert that has a much more vibrant inner monologue than real life- where everything at work is by the letter of the law and very mature.  I’m a little bit Walter Mitty-ish in this way.
Once I get my idea it all just rushes out and I just try to keep the train on course. I’ve often greeted my photo-hubs with ‘Ok, I need there to be trees, maybe a salad bar and this can of tuna needs to be in most of the shots. Is my facing tucked in?’ He just shrugs and starts driving.  I try not to over edit myself- it makes it feel like I’m not really having a conversation with the reader. I like it to feel like I’m just chatting over a magazine on Wednesdays with some friends and cookies.

Now, when I have my cookies, lap pup and coffee all set, who do I like to read? I have 2 blogs in mind. When I read these 2 gals I wish that they lived on my street and that I could just  pop in, plant myself in their lives and enjoy. Now this is a bit of a sneak attack- I didn’t warn them. Oops.

I giddily nominate:

Gjeometry! I love her soul and I love that while her blog features a good deal of prancing with an animal side kick, we are the opposites in writing style. Her posts are so meticulously planned, written and executed that I always leave it inspired and enthused. Nobody hosts a giveaway like she and Kitty!

Coco’s Loft!  Coco inspires my sewing with her casual elegance and her beautiful spirit. Her fabric choices are always enviable and she has made me want to grow in style and taste. Oh, I’d also love to live in her garden.

Now go visit these lovelies and feel their muse pull you in!

photo credits:google images, Pinterest, Sew Busy Lizzy, Coco’s Loft, Gjeometry. All images remain the property of their original owners.